Football star Aaron Hernandez went from the bright lights of the Super Bowl to a convicted murderer in a few years. The Boston Globe’s Spotlight Team, best known for its investigation of the sexual abuse scandal inside the Catholic Church, takes a hard look at the crisis facing football through the lens of Aaron Hernandez’s life and terrible crimes.
From Wondery, the podcast team that brought you Dr. Death, Spotlight asks: Did a brain badly damaged by football contribute to Hernandez’s violent behavior? Did he keep secrets about his sexuality that collided with a hyper-masculine football culture? Did elite coaches and teams look the other way as Hernandez was spiraling out of control?
Spotlight uncovered new documents, audio, and interviews to go deep into the story of what happened to Aaron Hernandez, and what it means for those of us who cheer on a violent game.
Listen to Gladiator: Aaron Hernandez and Football Inc. on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge all episodes ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/shows/gladiator/ now.
Patty Wen is joined by actor Josh Rivera, the star of the new FX series American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez, adapted from the podcast Gladiator: Aaron Hernandez and Football Inc. from Wondery and The Boston Globe. They talk about his preparation to play football star Aaron Hernandez, what it was like on set, and how he found humanity in such a complicated figure.
FX’s American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez premieres on Tuesday, September 17 on FX, next day on Hulu.
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